No Bake Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

John and I visited Indonesia this summer. Our friends in South Korea were vacationing in Bali, Indonesia, and they invited us to join them. We decided to go to Bali because we had so many free miles. There, I found the most adorable little cafe/food/gelato I’ve ever been in: Sea Circus.

We found this “American” restaurant with a Balinese touch thanks to a blogger friend who lives nearby. Oh my god, it was delicious. The coffee was also delicious. You could die if you’ve not had good coffee in 10 days or more, and someone gives you a cap. You could literally die. Just die.

What else made me love this place? The BACIO gelato (chocolate hazelnut) was intensely hazelnut-flavored and rich, with a chocolatey flavor. It was intense.

Since I slurped that bacio cone of gelato, I couldn’t get rid of the idea of making a chocolate hazelnut cookie. So, I headed to the kitchen to do some testing. After comparing the raw and baked versions, I preferred the no-bakes. They taste better; I mean, they only have four ingredients and no baking or butter or sugar. It was a bit of a no-brainer.

This recipe only requires one bowl, four ingredients, and 5 minutes. It also meets all three requirements of the Recipes in this blog. You could call it a trifecta of simple. They don’t sacrifice flavor or texture.

Cocoa powder adds a slightly bitter taste to the chocolate.

Hazelnuts give the dish a nuttiness and “bacio profile.”

Semisweet Chocolate Chips are a great way to add another layer of decadence.

Ingredients

• Hazelnut meal: 1 cup (milled from raw hazelnuts).
• 1 cup medjool or deglet nour dates
• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder (or sub cacao powder)
• 14 cup semisweet chocolate chips dairy-free

Instructions

• Add dates to the food processor and pulse until only small bits are left. It should form a ball, but it’s not a problem if it does not.
• Mix chocolate chips, hazelnut meal, and cocoa powder until well combined (see photo).
• If it seems too dry, add more dates while mixing. When you can easily form a dough with a small amount of the dates in your hands, you know that you have achieved the perfect texture. I added more to achieve the ideal texture.
• To store, refrigerate in an airtight container or bag; freeze for long-term storage. Store in an airtight bag or container. Freeze for long-term storage.